Kindness
by Ist Es Immer
Summary: For years Harry had seen a big, shaggy black dog everywhere he went. One day, he meets it, and turns out it's his godfather. Sirius does his best from then on to adopt Harry. An act of kindness and adoration changes Harry. When he starts Hogwarts he walks in with a combination of confidence and polite kindness he leaves everyone speechless. Rated M for later.
1. The Black Dog

Immer: For the record, I am not even sure if I can actually go throuth the series, but I am sure as hell going to try. And please bear with me the long waiting process in between chapters, if I start to slow down with updates, it's basically life throwing shit at my face.

 _Harry Potter_ is respectively owned by J.K. Rowling. I am merely writing for my own amusement.

Also, please submit a review after you're done reading.

Chapter One The Black Dog

HP

For as long as Harry could remember, there was always a black dog following him around. At first, he was frightened. It was a big dog, and he remembered seeing it everywhere he looked. He tried to tell his aunt and uncle about it, but they had written it off as part of his imagination.

"There's no dog there, you're just imagining things."

"It's probably a stray. Don't touch it, it might have rabies."

However, he knew it couldn't be a stray. The dog was too well groomed, and it didn't mind people. Also, if it did have rabies, wouldn't it be attacking people? Harry kept these thoughts to himself, and eventually stopped bringing up the dog. He was always aware of it whenever he saw it, and he often stared at it and wondered if it was his guardian angel or something.

They didn't officially meet until Aunt Petunia had started taking the boys to the park. She held Dudley's little hand, but completely ignored Harry's. And so little four year old Harry followed behind them, dejected.

At some point, he somehow got separated. Harry had his head down, and wasn't paying attention to where he was supposed to go. And then he realized he couldn't hear his aunt's shrewd voice, and he looked up to discover his aunt and cousin were nowhere in sight. To top it off he had no clue where he was.

Little Harry sat down on his behind and began to cry. As he wailed, he heard the sound of paws running up to him. He opened his eyes and screamed, crawling away from the giant black dog that came up to him out of the blue. It was so big, it was bigger than Harry!

The dog whined, ears pulled back and head lowered as if it was sorry. Harry sniffed, and rubbed his eyes as he sat up. The dog wasn't attacking him, it just scared him. Tentatively, Harry reached out to the dog, which eagerly leaned into his tiny hand. The fur was soft, despite the shaggy appearance.

The dog licked his cheek, and Harry giggled.

"That tickles!" Harry smiled, having forgotten he was lost. The dog wagged it's tail at his bright smile.

"Do you have a home?" Harry asked, peeking through fur to see if the dog had a collar. He found none, but wasn't at all sad.

"Wanna come home with me?" Harry stood up, and the dog twirled with a happy bark. He laughed, wrapping his short arms around the dog's neck.

"I name you Blackie!" The boy laughed when the dog barked even more excitedly in response.

Harry couldn't exactly remember how it happened, this event took place when he was four, but somehow the dog led him to the park where his aunt was watching Dudley play. She didn't even know that he had been gone, which was a relief, or else he would have endured a lecture.

Harry didn't bother joining his cousin on the playground. Instead he focused on playing with his first friend. They played tag, hide and seek, and at some point Harry crawled on its back to ride it. At that point, Dudley noticed the dog.

"I'm riding Blackie!" Harry examined with happiness as the dog trotted around in a circle, careful not to go too fast else the boy would fall.

Dudley waddled his way closer, eyes wide with a mix of awe and fear. He had never seen this dog before, and certainly not big enough to ride one like a horse. At some point excitement won over him as he moved closer.

"I want to ride the doggy! My turn! My turn!" Dudley shrieked, which finally drew his mother's attention (she was having a conversation with one of her friends).

The dog slowed to a stop before Dudley. Harry slid off with a bit of difficulty and he almost fell over. He was about to help Dudley up when Aunt Petunia snatched both boys away from the dog. She reprimanded both of them, mostly Harry, as she decided it was time to head home. She soothed Dudley's tears, but she snapped at Harry for being so careless.

"Don't go playing with random mongrels, boy! What if that stray was dangerous and hurt Dudley?"

"But the dog is nice! We were just playing." Harry's words fell on deaf ears.

"Oh, poor Dudley-kins, mummy will buy you a rocking horse if you want! How does that sound?"

"But I want doggy! Can't we get a doggy?"

"Oh, I don't know...mummy will have a talk with daddy."

"I want a doggy!" Dudley was about to go into another one of his infamous fits.

Harry glanced over his shoulder to wave goodbye to the dog. He wasn't exactly sure why he felt the need to do this, but he did. And when he looked back, the dog was nowhere in sight. Heart sank, Harry resisted the urge to cry again.

But strangely, after that day, Harry began to see the dog more and more often. He caught sight of the dog sitting in the parking lot when the Dursleys went grocery shopping. He would peek out the window to see the dog watching the house from across the street. But always, always whenever he looked again the dog was gone. Harry started to think he was seeing things.

Then when Harry and Dudley started school, he began to see the dog a lot more often. During breaks, Harry would see it watching him from outside the school gate. And then, on one fateful weekend, Dudley and his group of friends chased him around the neighborhood. That was when the dog approached Harry for the first time in years.

Harry was running as fast as his short legs could. He was fortunate he could run a little faster than Dudley and his friends, who were all on the chubby side and sucked at running. Eight year old Harry made a quick turn, not realizing he ran down a street that ended in a circle of houses. He turned, and his heart sank when he realized he was trapped.

"You got nowhere to run, Potty!" Dudley breathed, red faced as he and his friends gathered their breath.

"Too bad there's no toilet to stuff his head in."

"Sorry, but I think the toilet would rather want your heads. You lot got a lot more meat on your bones, bet you'll be tastier than skinny little me." Harry knew he was so dead then, but the stunned looks on their faces was worth it.

"Get him!" Dudley ordered with a roar.

Before the boys could close in on him, suddenly a black dog charged in. It put itself between them and Harry, hackles raised and teeth bared as it snarled at them. Harry stared, unsure if this was really real, but the frightened screams were real enough as Dudley and his goons ran.

When they were gone, the dog calmed. It's fur wasn't standing on end anymore, and ears were perked up as it turned to face Harry. He stared, confused and bewildered. It certainly looked like the same dog from the park, four years prior.

"Blackie...?" Harry gasped, and the dog barked and twirled, tail wagging wildly.

Suddenly the dog tackled him. Harry had a sense of panic before his face was licked all over with dog slobber. Some of it got on his glasses, but he didn't care as Harry squirmed in a giggling fit.

"I get it! Blackie! I missed you too! Get off."

At some point Harry pushed the dog off of him. He sat up and took off his glasses, using his sleeve to wipe off the saliva so they were clear again. He glanced over at the dog, which was still wagging its tail happily.

"Have you been watching me the last four years?" He wasn't sure why he was speaking to it like it understood him, but it barked in confirmation.

"Oh. I'm sorry I couldn't take you home. Aunt Petunia said no dogs allowed in the house. And yet Aunt Marge can bring her dogs when she visits."

The dog tilted its head in the absurdity of it all.

"Yeah, Aunt Petunia doesn't make sense sometimes." Harry stood up, not caring he was having a one sided conversation with a dog.

"Hey, want to go to the park?" Harry smiled when the dog responded with a happy bark and rubbed against him. The action nearly had Harry tumble to the ground, as the dog came up to his chest, but he didn't mind.

Together they headed to the very same park they had played when they first met. They played until Harry grew tired, and he laid down in the grass using the dog as a pillow. By now it was close to dinner, and Harry was dreading going back.

"I don't want to go back." Harry admitted as he watched the colors change in the sky above. "I don't ever want to go back there, to the cubbard underneath the stairs. But where am I to go? I have nowhere to go."

The dog whined. Harry wasn't sure if the dog really did understand what he was saying, or had very good sense he was upset. And, finally feeling that someone cared, even if it wasn't human, Harry told the dog everything. Dogs were great listeners, and they couldn't tell humans secrets.

"I lost my mum and dad when I was a baby. My only relatives are Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, so I was sent to live with them. I used to think it would be better off at an orphanage, but that was until I met an orphan at my school. He told me stories of what's it like, there. And it's horrible, more so than here. So, even though I hate it here, it's better than at an orphanage I suppose."

The dog was surprisingly silent, and Harry continued.

"Aunt Petunia said my parents died in a car crash, which was how I got the scar. I sometimes wonder if they speak truth, though, but that could just be wishful thinking. I like to pretend they died for something grand, like protecting me from someone. I know, it's silly, but it's just a fantasy."

Harry didn't notice how the dog became tense at these words. He didn't notice the slight shaking in the canine's muscles. He continued on talking his heart out.

"I don't understand why they call me freak, or blame me for something I never did. I can't explain why my hair always grew back when they give me awful haircuts, or why tea cups shatter when they yell at me. Sometimes a tire of Uncle Vernon's car blows up, and even though I'm nowhere near it, they blame me. I don't understand them, but I figured it's better to adapt and just go along with it. Arguing with them earns me locked up in the cubbard for a week."

Harry wasn't aware of the tears falling down his cheeks. Or that the dog was growling. He sat up, shoulders slumped as he choked out the words that have been haunting for years.

"Am I a freak? Is it all really my fault, or is in their head? Am I a freak of nature as they claim?"

Harry curled up, hugging his knees close. It had been so long since he cried, the force of it wracked his tiny frame as his sobs filled the air. Movement caught his eye, and he looked up to see the dog standing before him. It held such sorrow in it's eyes, that for a moment Harry thought it was more than a simple dog.

And then the dog transformed into a man. A man with long black hair, strange clothes, and arms wrapped him into a tight hug. Harry was so taken aback by just witnessing a _dog_ transform into a _man_ that he didn't care that a complete _stranger_ was holding him, holding him tightly as if afraid to let him go.

"Oh, Harry, you're not a freak. You're just a boy, a precious boy. I don't know if I can succeed, but I promise I will try and make things right and get you out of there."

Harry cried even harder and held onto the strange man who promised him a better life, and he didn't even care if he didn't even know his name. The sincerity in his voice was enough to calm the boy, and he hoped with all his might that this wasn't some dream and he would wake up to learn this wasn't real.

For the first time in his short life, Harry felt kindness and love that he had been deprived of for so long, he held onto the man tightly. If this really was a dream, Harry didn't want to wake up.

"Don't make me go back! Please, please please please. I promise I'll be good, just don't make me go back. Please please please please." Harry repeated like a mantra.

"As much as I want to Harry, that would be kidnapping. Just be patient for me, okay? I will see you again soon, hopefully. Be strong like your father and you'll be just fine."

"You knew my father?" Harry hiccuped, squirming as he pulled away to stare at the man curiously.

"Yes, I was his best friend before he died. My name is Sirius Black, your parents named me your godfather."

Harry couldn't believe it. He had a _godfather._ But why didn't he know of this man until now? One look at the man and he saw enough reason for his aunt and uncle to deny the man to even step one toe inside the house. Hair down to his shoulders, tattoos everywhere, and strange clothes that would have made his relatives nervous.

"So...I can live with you then Mr. Black!" Harry exclaimed with excitement.

"Call me Sirius, Harry. And I'll see what I can do to arrange something. In the meantime, be strong and hang in there. The next time we meet will hopefully when I've found a loophole for you to come live with me and Remus."

"Wait. Who's Remus? And how can you change into a dog? Can Remus become an animal, too? Can I be an animal?" Harry was overwhelmed with questions, and Sirius laughed as he ran a hand through the boy's hair.

"Remus is a very close friend of mine. And no, he doesn't willingly turn into an animal. That sort of magic takes years to learn, Harry, you won't be ready to tackle that for years to come. Although we did manage it at a young age."

"Magic? But...but...how? And who else can do that?" Harry frowned, confused.

"To put it simply Harry, you're a wizard. Your parents were, too. They were fine witch and wizard, strong and brilliant. Your father could transform into a stag." Sirius smiled as the boy took the information in.

"But...I can't be a wizard. I'm Harry. Just Harry."

Sirius sighed, and for a moment the boy thought he had done something bad. Harry opened his mouth to apologize, but the man spoke first. His voice was calm as he elaborated.

"Think for a moment, think of something happening that you can't explain like your hair growing back the day after a haircut. Or tea cups shattering, or the tire blowing up. That's all happening because of _your_ magic, Harry. It's all your magic, nothing isn't a coincident where magic is concerned."

Harry thought over the strange situations in his life. He recalled how when he was running away from Dudley and his gang at school, somehow he emded up on the roof of a building with no idea how he got up there in the first place. Once when he got really angry at Dudley one morning, suddenly the burner used to cook bacon burst and the food caught on fire.

Everything clicked inside his head. The realization must have been readable on his face when Sirius smiled fondly at him.

"See? You know it deep inside, you're a wizard. And you're going to be great, just like your mother and father."

Harry felt a wave of confidence and pride he hadn't felt before, all just from those simple words. He grinned up at his godfather from ear to ear. And Sirius felt his heartstrings pull at the sight.

"Thank you, Sirius."


	2. Partial Guardianship

Immer: I should have mentioned this is an AU where Sirius never went into Azkaban. How will be explained in this chapter.

Chapter Two Partial Guardianship

HP

"Sirius, for the love of Merlin, please. You know there is nothing we can do to help Harry." Remus wiped his face, they had been arguing for a better of an hour back and forth in the morning after Sirius revealed himself to Harry.

"No, Moony, you don't understand! The boy is forced to live in a cubbard underneath the stairs. A _cubbard_ , Moony! He's so small, he's too tiny for an eight year old! One look and you can tell he's malnourished. This isn't _right_ Moony, this is the son of James and Lily for Godric's sake!"

"And you think I'm not aware of this, Padfoot? I know, the muggles are treating him horribly, you've observed this for the last eight years. But we have tried _countless_ times to gain custody of him, and Dumbledore is _not_ budging from his decision. Even if he is abused, Dumbledore won't change." Remus sighed with exasperation.

"I'm even more amazed you didn't kidnap him, Sirius. It took everything I did to stop you from confronting Peter. And look what happened when he was surrounded by Aurors? Blown to pieces! You would have been no different. And here we are, and you're _obsessing_ over the boy as if he were James!"

"I know the difference between him and James!" Sirius groaned. "It's just, what if we don't go for _full_ custody then?"

"What do you mean?" Remus was confused where this was going.

"I've heard of the muggles talk how when parents separate, they gain partial custody of the kids. What they do is one parent gets the kids for a certain length of time, and then they switch over to the other parent."

"Sirius, that is the most absurd idea I've heard. First off, we're not even his parents. I'm just an uncle in everything but name and paper, and you're just the godfather."

Honestly, using a muggle's form of agreement to settle this matter? Remus was questioning if Padfoot finally lost his mind, or he somehow gained a brilliance for other than pranking and jokes.

"No, listen to me Remus! We won't have full custody of him, but what if we had him over the summers and holidays? Think, Moony, think! He needs to know that there are people who _care_ for him, who _love_ him, and he's not _alone._ I fear of him showing signs to become...become an Obscurus."

The air was heavy at even mentioning a horrible fate. Dread ate away at their minds of a possibility happening, and they didn't even want to imagine something happening to any child, let alone Harry. Obscurials rarely surpassed childhood, often meeting a violent end when they have reached a boiling point. And a possible outcome for James and Lily's only child hit Remus hard.

"Are you sure. Are you _really_ sure, Sirius. This is a matter we can't take lightly if what you say is true." He had to double check, ensure Sirius wasn't yanking his chain.

"They call him a freak, Moony. A _freak_! Harry cried as he asked me if he was a fucking _freak_ , they _blame_ him for any unnatural thing that can't be explained. For fuck's sake they lock him up in the cubbard for a week if he even so much as argues! Is this, or is this not a recipe for an Obscurus?"

 _Point. But this is still a very sensitive matter to bring to the Ministry._

Even so, it might bring Dumbledore and the Ministry their attention of the boy's well-being. It would be enough for them to consider, because the threat of The Boy Who Lived becoming and Obscurial would be devastating all around. Maybe, just _maybe_ this could work.

"All right, all right. You win." Remus held his hands up, and Sirius grinned. "But, promise me one thing. Promise me you won't go visit him, go watch him while we try at least get partial custody. I don't want everyone's hopes up if this doesn't work."

For a moment, Sirius looked like he was going to argue. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Remus could see in his eyes that the other hated the thought of not seeing him, but he understood that Remus was right. Lips pressed into a thin line, Sirius nodded.

"All right. I won't go see him until all of this is over." Sirius agreed.

"Thank you. You're finally starting to learn to listen to me." Remus pulled the other into a hug, which Sirius returned tightly.

The next few months were hell on both of them.

HP

Harry hadn't seen Sirius for a whole four months. At first he was confused, but he held hope. He held hope that Sirius would come back. But, by two months his hope wavered. By month three he started feeling depressed. Month four and he wondered if that had all been a dream.

Christmas was just around the corner when, one night, the Dursleys were enjoying a television program after dinner when someone knocked on the door. Harry, who had just finished with the dishes, looked up curiously at the same time as everyone else did at the sound of polite knocking at the front door.

 _I don't remember anyone mentioning having guests_ _tonight._

One look at his aunt and uncle and Harry realized they weren't expecting anyone either. Uncle Vernon reluctantly got up from his seat and made his way to the door, just as it rang again. Harry watched from his view in the kitchen, mindlessly drying his hands.

Uncle Vernon opened the door, and almost immediately people eagerly shoved their way inside. There were a total of four people shuffling in, welcoming themselves to the warmth inside the house.

"Excuse us, Mr. Dursley I presume? Is this the residence of Mr. Harry Potter?" One of them inquired, his clothes were ragged and covered with patches as if they covered up tears and rips by hand.

"Er...yes? Who are you people and why are you all here at 9 o'clock at night?" The big man was rather stunned to have four random strangers come inside his house uninvited and then ask for his nephew.

Harry recognized Sirius among the group. He felt his stomach do flips, and he could hardly believe this was even happening. Aunt Petunia shushed him into the living room as she entered the kitchen to make tea because simply, what kind of hosts would the Dursleys be to not offer tea?

Harry and Dudley stared. They both knew that this must be something important, even if it was sprung on the adults with no warning. The boys immediately bolted to the space of being inside the living room while peeking from their end of the hallway.

Harry studied the other two men. One of them seemed older than the rest, his hair thinned and fading in color, and he had a pot belly. What startled Harry the most was one of his eyes was covered by what looked like a glass eye, but it was inside some sort of device and it _moved._

The eye looked all around while his normal eye remained in Vernon. Dudley and his father shared the same reaction, shuddering as they made a weird face. Vernon tried his best not make a face at least.

"Hold on, are you lot one of...one of _them_?" Vernon stammered.

"You mean wizards? Yes, yes we are. Boy, you might want to put away that piece of gum before you put in Potter's ear." The one with the strange eye answered, and Dudley quickly placed it back into his pocket.

The fourth was a man who seemed the youngest of the bunch. He wasn't scarred or as hallow cheeked as Sirius and the man in tattered clothes. He appeared to be in his early twenties, and out of all of them he dressed in a more professional manner. And yet despite his youthful appearance he was the only one bald.

"I am Alastor Moody, this young lad is Kingsley Shacklevolt," The one with the eye introduced himself and the rest."This is Remus Lupin and this one is Sirius Black."

At the mention of the last two, Aunt Petunia dropped a tea cup. The men continued on as if it didn't happen, but Dudley and Harry stared at her in pure shock. Aunt Petunia was the essence of caution with her tea sets, the mere idea of her dropping a cup was shocking to them.

 _Does she know of them? Wait, they knew about my parents? They knew what I am but didn't tell me?_ Harry was storing this information away for later.

"Forgive the sudden visit, but we are here on a matter of Harry Potter's guardianship." The youngest man, Kingsley, elaborated. Without another word they all removed their coats and without even asking they placed the coats on the coat hanger by the front door.

"What do you mean his guardianship? We've been told he had to remain with us, due to no other family." Vernon was beside himself, confused and now eyeing them all suspiciously.

"They're taking you to the orphanage, I bet." Dudley snickered.

"Shut up." Harry jabbed his cousin in the ribs with his elbow.

 _If they're wizards and here with Sirius, then he must have found a loophole. But how?_ Harry wondered.

"Ah, yes. This is a different matter entirely. See, Sirius also happens to be Harry's godfather." Kingsley said, letting the words sink in before he continued. "Now, we are well aware of the situation at hand. Sirius can't obtain full custody of Mr. Potter, however, it is possible if he has partial custody."

"Meaning what, exactly?" Vernon was bringing them to the dining table, since it was the only table for all of them to sit. As they passed the boys retreated back to the living room, acting like they weren't snooping but their eyes never left the men in bewilderment.

"What we propose, is I get Harry during the summer and holidays. If that is all right with you and Harry." Sirius spoke up, the eagerness in his voice was very apparent.

"Can...can I go with him?" Harry sprinted forward, and when all eyes turned to him he did his best not to shrink back. "I mean, can I please go with Sirius on summer and holiday breaks?"

"If you're all right with it, we don't see a reason why not as long as it's permitted with Mr. and Mrs. Dursley." Kingsley turned to face the aunt and uncle, both of them seemed quite stunned on the turn of events.

Petunia placed the tray on the table and offered to everyone. Remus and Kingsley thanked her politely, while Moody held his cup and inspected it suspiciously. Sirius silently refused, his eyes drifting to Harry often.

"Well...er, I suppose so. So why can't he have full custody?" Vernon asked, but was quickly shushed by his wife.

"Oh, you remember why, Vernon dear." Her voice was strained and Harry stared between them, confused.

"No, really I don't understand- "

"We'll talk about it later. So, are there any papers to sign?" Petunia changed the subject all too quickly.

"Yes, actually. We have the forms right here." Kingsley pulled the papers seemingly out of nowhere.

"It...it won't harm us by signing, right?" Vernon was suspicious of the parchment when it was unrolled on the table.

"I assure you that it is perfectly harmless. Mr. Black and Mr. Lupin have already signed. All we need are your signatures and then Mr. Potter's. Just sign here on the bottom where the lines are." Kingsley pointed out.

"Why does it need more than his godfather's signature?" Vernon squinted his eyes at Kingsley.

"They live together. It is a requirement for any in the same household as Mr. Black understand the rules and abide by them."

"Hold on, what are these rules?"

"They are simple. It is an agreement of young Mr. Potter is allowed to stay with Mr. Black and Lupin during summer, and any holidays as he so wishes. However, failure of returning him home gives Mr. Black a strike. Three strikes and Mr. Potter is not allowed to stay at his godfather's until he is the age of seventeen, the age he is considered an adult in the wizarding community. And, should you, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, fail to hand him over to Mr. Black, expect Aurors to come by and retrieve him by force." Kingsley elaborated with great care to emphasize the importance of everyone to pay attention.

"Hold on, what are...what you called them, to come and take him by force?" His uncle was nearly red in the face.

"Aurors. Think of them as government agents or police officers." Kingsley was patient with them.

"Only difference is, they can mess with your mind if you've seen too much. Even though you're muggles living with a young wizard, you can't know too much of our world." Moody commented, his eye went to each Dursley before pausing at Harry.

He had a weird inkling feeling, as if something was crawling underneath his skin as the eye studied him as if it could see through him. Harry fidgeted, but didn't back away like he wanted to.

"Is that a threat, Mr. Moody?" Vernon was now red in the face like a tomato.

"No, it is fact." Moody held his ground.

"If you all understand the rules, then please, sign." Kingsley intercepted before things went too sour.

"If I sign, are all of you leaving right after? You all came into my house with short notice, and made threats to me and my family!" Vernon was close to blowing up.

"We have done nothing save being polite and stating fact and truth. You're simply over reacting." Sirius remarked with much restraint of his own fury.

"Sirius, now is not the time - " Remus was interrupted by Vernon.

"And this is my house! Just because you lot are one of _those_ people doesn't mean you can waltz in here and make threats!"

Sirius stood up, and in an instant Remus reached out to him. His hand grabbed a fist full of shirt and tried to pull him down. Sirius didn't even budge at the attempt.

"Sirius, _sit down._ " Remus had a tone similar to Petunia would use on Vernon when he was out of line.

After a moment Sirius slowly sat back down in his seat. Remus still kept a strong hand on him, knowing full well one more wrong word and Sirius would fling himself across the table.

"Yes, I promise we will all leave." Kingsley spoke, breaking the tension.

The first to sign was Petunia, surprisingly. She was offered a quil pen, which she quickly signed her signature with almost practiced ease. Vernon had a little more trouble with the quil, but eventually he managed to write out his signature on the parchment.

The last to sign was Harry. He eagerly pulled the parchment closer to him, and without any care if his signature was sloppy or not he signed. He found that the feathered pen was easier to handle than more modern ones. The flow of his signature came naturally. Even with this, his excitement was evident with his writing still ended up sloppy.

"Everything is in order, now. Mr. Black and Mr. Lupin will pick him up on December 23rd, at around eleven in the morning. Is that all right with you Mr. Dursley?" Kingsley rolled the parchment with ease.

"Er, yes. Yes, of course." Vernon was still bothered by the earlier argument.

"Very well. We'll be taking our leave, then." The men stood up in unison and made their way to the door and gathered their coats.

Harry followed behind Sirius, grinning ear to ear. His godfather pulled him into a tight hug. Which Harry happily returned the embrace.

"Told you to hang in there. Took a while, but we finally found a loophole. Can't wait for Christmas." Sirius pulled away, mirroring the boy's grin.

"Knew you would come through." Harry didn't want to admit he started having doubts, he didn't want to ruin the mood.

"See you again, Harry. It was nice to finally meet you. I wish to stay a little longer, but we'll see each other in five days." Remus ran a hand through wild hair.

"Can't wait." Harry beamed at him.

"Take care, young man. It was an honor to meet you." Kingsley shook his hand.

"Thank you?" Harry was dumbfounded but didn't ask why it was an honor to meet him. He was just a regular boy.

"Be sure not to let them be too hard on ya, lad. But, it seems like you can handle yourself pretty well." Moody said, clearly not used to speaking to children.

"Yeah." Harry nodded.

"How do we know when the boy will be picked up in the future?" Vernon inquired from down the hallway.

"Remus will be sending a letter in a week's advance." Kingsley answered, while opening the door.

And just like that, they left. Harry heard a _pop_ in the air outside. He peeked outside to see they were all gone.


	3. Celebrity Wizard

Immer: The feels in this are going to be huge. Just fair warning.

Chapter Three Celebrity Wizard

HP

"How could you not tell me what I was? What my parents _were_? Why would you lie to me for eight years? How did my parents actually die?" Harry confronted his aunt and uncle the night before he was to be picked up by his other guardians.

He had been pestering them since the paperwork was signed. Even as they pushed him away or demanded he stop with the nonsense of digging up the past, Harry was stubborn. This wasn't something he would put aside and pretend everything was all right. Not this time.

"Don't you question us, boy! When your parents died, we had the good graces to take you in!" Vernon would have none of it.

"But I have a right to know!" Harry wasn't backing down.

"Maybe your parents were killed off by some wizard for being freaks." Dudley snickered, which Vernon mirrored.

A hand smacked at Dudley's head so fast it caught everyone by surprise. Everyone stared with wide eyes at Petunia. Never, not once had she ever raised her hand on her son. Dudley looked as he was about to cry, cry real tears not because of being smacked but the emotional pain of being struck by one of his parents for the first time. She ignored his tears, her eyes focusing on her nephew.

"For the record, yes, your mother, my sister, and that - that insensitive bigot she married were killed. They had gotten themselves blown up." Petunia recollected herself, taking a moment to breathe before continuing. "I always knew her for what she was - she was... _abnormal._ "

Harry opened his mouth to snap at her, but she continued. And words failed him in response to her next words. She spoke with so much venom that it rendered him speechless.

"And then she met _him_. Arrogant, so arrogant that he refused to work. They must have angered the wrong people, because one night they died. They died for _you_ , and for some unknown reason their killer couldn't kill you. And now you know. Now you know the truth."

Heavy silence filled the atmosphere. Vernon and Dudley didn't have a snarky comment to say for once, they were equally as stunned. Harry couldn't think. He felt confused, hurt, and guilty. His parents sacrificed themselves for him, and he didn't know for eight years.

 _They died for me. And I didn't know._

That night, he wondered who killed them and why. He knew not to ask his aunt, not when she was so bitter towards him for something his parents did. And he knew his uncle didn't know, the man obviously despised the magical world as if it were a plague. Harry's ponderings took a large part of the night, so he didn't as much sleep.

He woke up next morning to the normal routine of Aunt Petunia pounding the cubbard door. Harry groggily got up, putting on his glasses. Aunt Petunia warned him he had two hours before he was to be picked up by his godfather. That was when it hit him, today was the day!

 _Finally I get to spend Christmas away!_

Harry stormed out of the cubbard, and quickly got started with his chores. He didn't mind the snide comments about Sirius and Remus from Vernon, who recalled how their clothes were weird and Lupin seemed fairly poor if his patches were anything to go by. Harry for once didn't care, he was too preocuppied with the fact he was spending his first Christmas away from the Dursleys.

When his chores were done, Harry gathered his bag. It had a few clothes, just enough for the time he was to stay. He was also grateful they were keeping him for the rest of his winter break. Which also meant he was staying for New Years as well.

Harry was giddy, his stomach doing flips.

When eleven o'clock rolled around, Harry was anxiously waiting for the door to ring. When it was ten minutes after the hour, as Harry was starting to have a sinking feeling in his stomach as he waited, there was a knock. Harry sprung from the living room and raced to the door before Vernon was up from his chair. The boy opened the door and was immediately pulled into a tight hug.

"Harry! Worried we wouldn't make it, did you? We got a tad bit lost, these houses all look the same we got turned around." Sirius chuckled, and reluctantly released Harry so Remus could hug him, too.

"If only Sirius could listen to what I said, then we wouldn't have been late." The rugged man stated, sending a look at the other.

"Oh, come off it, Moony. It was a nice little adventure. So, got your bags ready, Harry?" Sirius inquired, quite ready to leave.

"Yeah, I just have one bag." Harry retrieved it from the cubbard.

"Why was that in the cubbard?" The tone in his godfather's voice made Harry shake. He was used to the warmth in it, not the dark tone.

"Er...it was just stored there to be out of the way from the door!" Harry quickly came up with a lie, his voice shaking a little as he hastily closed the cubbard door.

At this point Vernon was behind him, and with quick strides Sirius made his way closer. He pointed a finger at Vernon, who stared at it as if it were a gun. Remus pulled Harry out of the wayway, and with one arm he held Sirius back.

"If I _ever_ find out, you lot are mistreating him, you all will wish you were dead when I'm done with you." Sirius growled, and Remus struggled to hold him back.

Harry stared between his uncle and his godfather. Their tempers were clashing. He knew this was going to escalate quickly. Harry braced himself for the yelling.

"Now you listen here," Vernon was purple faced, and his voice shook but he managed to find his words. "You can't just waltz in here and make threats in MY house!"

"Come on now, Sirius, I think it's time we go now." Remus pulled, and the taller man grudgingly stayed out.

"Why don't you ask your wife a little about us, I bet she remembers me in particular. I don't give a damn about rules if someone I care about is being tormented." At the mention of that Petunia scurried out of sight with a whimper.

 _They know her? And she knows them?_

Harry was lost in this revelation. It was all too much to think that she knew these two men and she said or did nothing of it. Plus, his attention was focused on something more important as Remus gently sent him out the door.

The stunned look on Vernon's face was priceless. Sirius enjoyed the moment even as turned for the door. The three quietly left the Dursley home without another word exchanged. Remus even took the time to close the door behind them with a soft click.

HP

"So what was that about? You guys know my aunt?" Harry asked as they walked a few blocks, he was in between the two men who were now his guardians.

"Well, we knew your mother. Of course we knew Petunia. She was as bitter and horrible as I remember her as. It looks like she's gotten worse in age, though." Sirius elaborated.

"Ah, I think this is a good spot. Shall you do the honors, or shall I?" Remus offered, as they stopped at a corner of a street.

"What do you mean?" Harry blinked, glancing between each man.

"I'll do it, Moony"

"Show off." Remus muttered under his breath.

Sirius waved with his right hand and suddenly there was a resounding loud _pop_ in the air. Harry nearly tumbled backwards from the force of something traveling great speed pull to a sudden stop before them. He looked up to see a large two story red bus that read The Knight Bus.

"What's this?" Harry asked, as the door opened.

"This is the Knight Bus. It is a bus for transportation for wizards and witches to get them where they need to go." Remus stated, stepping inside first. Sirius leaned down to whisper in Harry's ear.

"If you ever need to escape the Dursleys for any emergency reason, just wave your dominant hand and use the bus to get to us."

Harry nodded in understanding, and he followed his godfather inside the bus. Inside, it was like any normal bus, however he was surprised there seemed more room inside than it showed outside. It was all very mind reeling for the boy.

"Aye, Sirius! Ya not takin' yer bike? Oh, of course not, Remus is with ya! And who is this?" A young man noticed Harry. His eyes were instantly drawn to the scar, and he went still.

"Blimey...is tha' who I think it is?"

Harry stared, unsure what to make of this.

"Stan, please don't draw attention. It's bad enough we've already been swarmed by owls and reporters." Remus sighed as he counted the money and stated their destination.

Harry was too distracted by his godfather messing with his hair to cover his scar to hear where they were going, or how strange the coins were different than what he knew of. The three of them entered, their bags collected by Stan and the bus a on its way. It went at a fast pace that Harry nearly stumbled from the force, and Sirius steadied him as Remus chose a seat.

They sat with Harry in the middle, and he couldn't help but be fascinated by everything. He wasn't used to other forms of transportation other than Vernon's car. He felt embarrassed for staring at a woman with a bunch of cages with owls. Remus and Sirius struck up conversations with Harry, noticing his uneasiness. Eventually the boy began to relax, and soon he was out of his shell by the time they arrived at their stop.

But then something unexpected happened, catching everyone off guard. The moment they stepped off the bus with their bags, the three were swarmed by a crowd of people with cameras, parchment and quills, and everyone swarming them and asking questions.

"Mr. Black, how does it feel to have partial custody of the Boy Who Lived?"

"Mr. Potter, the Boy Who Lived! Can we ask you a few questions?"

"Can you inform us about the muggle term of partial custody?"

Harry was caught between his guardians, confused as to why these people wanted to talk to them so badly, or why his guardians were furious. Harry snuck a look at the swarm of people, and he realized that they were reporters. At some point both Remus and Sirius stood in front of him, and his field of vision of the reporters were blocked.

 _Why do they want to talk to me?_

"Everyone, stand back. Please, Harry isn't available to speak to any of you. Let us through, please." Remus was trying to dissuade the reporters calmly.

"Back, all of you! This is bloody Christmas holiday season, let a boy be a boy, not some celebrity!" Sirius was more colorful of sending them away.

Both of them had a hand on Harry, as if afraid someone would snatch him. The three of them backed up, almost stumbling into the Knight Bus, which hadn't left yet. Stan was at the door of the bus, unable to get out to help the former passengers clear their way into their house. Even so, Stan voiced his opinion of how rude the reporters were being.

"I told you using the Knight Bus was a bad idea." Sirius whispered to Remus, but even so Harry heard him.

"It would be safer than what you wanted to do." Remus responded with a knowing look.

"Well, now what do we do?" The taller of the two was becoming impatient, as he was very crowded.

"I can't breathe." Harry was overwhelmed.

He thought the cubbard was claustrophobic enough, this was worse than the cubbard underneath the stairs. Harry was feeling as if he was suffocating, too many people were too close and there was no means of escape. And then something else happened, something no one would ever forget.

Harry was aware of having magic, so this time he felt it bubble up and rise like a volcano about to explode. He felt the energy swirl around him as it strained to be released. Without so much as a second thought he held onto his guardians tightly as he released his magic out in full force.

Suddenly there were screams as his magic pushed everyone away. It was as if a gust of wind blew through, and everyone was knocked off their feet and landed several feet away and parted to create a pathway. Harry didn't get to see this, as his guardians still blocked his view.

 _I didn't hurt anyone, did I?_

In a flash Sirius hoisted him up, and bolted through the crowd before anyone could gather their bearings. Remus was on their heels with the boy's bag, nearly stumbling on a few legs along the way. Harry held tightly onto broad shoulders as he examined what he could of what his magic had done.

 _I didn't know I could do that._

Harry didn't get to admire his work when Sirius, fumbling for his key, when Remus rolled his eyes and with a wave of his wand the door unlocked. The men hurried inside before closing the door abruptly and locking it. Both adults leaned against the door, as they regulated their breathing.

"Excuse me...can you please put me down, now?" Harry wasn't used to being held at all. He wasn't even sure his aunt ever held him like this in his short eight years of life.

"Of course, Harry. Sorry about that, couldn't risk anyone snatching you while making a run for the door." Sirius set him down, and and Harry stared at them curiously.

"So why were there reporters out there? Were they there for me? What did I do? There's so much I don't understand." Harry was beginning to feel people knew more about him than he knew about himself and it was scaring him.

They shared a look, and their body language was of defeat. There was a mixture of pain, as if years upon years of sadness caught up to them, and while Harry felt guilty for pressing the issue. At the same notion he had enough of not understanding the full story.

"What did my parents do? I know they sacrificed themselves for me, but who did it? And why?" Harry knew his parents were part of the answer, and he sensed that was painful enough to them.

"Let's discuss this in the living room. I'll prepare tea and snacks." Remus offered, feeling weary from everything that had transpired. He made his way into the kitchen.

"And while we're waiting, uh, Harry. Was it you who used magic to knock them down?" Sirius led the way to the living room, which Harry followed.

"Am I in trouble if I did?" Harry suddenly felt apprehensive, he was terrified he did something bad.

 _I hope they don't send me back._

Sirius smiled, wrapping an arm around tiny shoulders and a huge hand gently squeezed. Harry relaxed, knowing he wasn't in trouble, or at least he wasn't going to be judged for what he had done. He had to remind himself these men weren't the Dursleys.

"You're fine, Harry. It was clever of you, it sure got us out of a tight spot. Just don't use your magic so freely like that, the Ministry severely punishes those who use it without authorization, especially out in public."

"There's a Ministry?" Harry questioned.

"Yes, the Ministry of Magic is what upholds our rules and regulations. They ensure we stay hidden from muggles."

"Why do we have to hide?" Harry thought it would be great to have magic as an advantage over his bullies, Dudley in particular.

"For everyone's safety, for the muggles and for ourselves." That was as far as Sirius would say on the matter.

"And Harry, don't use your magic to hurt anyone. Even if they deserve it, sometimes it's better to walk away. And remember, if you use your magic on muggles or around them, then the Ministry will be forced to take action. Since you're undrage, your punishment wouldn't be too harsh. But that will change the older you get. Understand, Harry?" Sirius warned him of the consequences.

"...I understand." Harry nodded, deciding he wouldn't use his magic on his cousin.

 _Doesn't mean I won't pretend I know enough magic and scare him with threats. Maybe then he would leave me alone._

They sat down on a couch. It was old fashioned, but comfortable. Harry suspected the colors alone would make Aunt Petunia faint over, she preferred modern over antique. A few minutes later Remus brought tea and snacks meant for brunch, but it was in the middle of the afternoon so it was late brunch.

"So, you know about your parents?" Remus started, the air was heavy and the only one eating was Harry while the men sipped their tea. More like Sirius was merely holding his cup, and Remus drank his down and served himself another cup.

"Aunt Petunia told me about it last night. I pestered her until she finally told me what happened. She said my parents got blown up because of me." Harry nibbled on his sandwich in between sentences. He was careful not to talk with his mouth full.

"And let me guess, she didn't tell you why they were killed?" Sirius knew he hit the mark when Harry nodded, too busy chewing a huge chunk of his sandwich to answer.

 _She was too busy talking about how horrible they were._

Harry kept that bit to himself. After Sirius' earlier display towards Vernon, he didn't want his godfather storming out to cause needless trouble because of him. He patiently waited for them to explain the full story.

"Where to start? Well, back then, there was a powerful wizard. But he was a Dark Wizard, he wanted to change things that involved killing a lot of people. Now, your parents opposed him. All of us did. So, one night he decided to kill all three of you." Remus explained, he was about to continue but Harry interrupted.

"Hang on, who was he? And why couldn't he kill me, but he was able to kill my parents?" He realized interrupted and felt awkward as they stared so he stuffed the rest of his sandwich into his mouth so he would stop interrupting.

"It's okay, you're fine. It's good to be curious." Remus assured him.

Harry felt better about himself. He was often scolded for asking too many questions. So he mostly kept his questions to himself. But he sensed he could be a lot more open with his guardians, which was a relief when they didn't mind the questions.

"And to answer your question, most people call him He Who Must Not Be Named because of all the horrible things he had done, while his followers revere him as the Dark Lord. He called himself Lord Voldemort." Sirius spoke with bitterness in his voice.

 _What sort of name is that?_

Harry frowned, trying to sound the name in his head and having a hard time at it. He decided to work on it later as Sirius continued.

"He was a very bad man, and your parents openly opposed him. When he started going after families, even with young children, your parents went into hiding for your safety. But he still found them. His aim was for you, Harry, that was when your mother made the ultimate sacrifice."

 _Why would he go after a baby? And why would my mother's sacrifice make a difference?_

"Love is the strongest form of magic. Nothing can break it, when it was love that saved you from the killing curse. It left a mark on you, that scar as proof." Remus added when Harry made a face, a mix of guilt and confusion.

Absent mindedly Harry reached up to feel it. He knew it was still there, but now that he knew the true origin of the scar it held a lot more meaning. Harry grew up hating it, he hated the attention it gave him. The stares from children and adults made him uncomfortable. Harry would still hate the staring, he knew this. But now he had a change of heart about the scar.

 _It's the only proof I have of them._

"So...what happened to him? Lord Vol..." Harry knew he would mess up the pronunciation and saved himself the trouble of trying.

"No one knows. He disappeared. Some speculated he's dead. Others think he's hiding, bidding his time until he can rise to power again. But one thing was certain is that you are the only one to survive an attack from him."

"And that's why those people wanted to talk to me? But I don't remember any of that. I'm just Harry. I'm only eight and I don't even know any magic like you and Remus." Harry still didn't see how he was special. He was having a difficult time wrapping his head around all of this.

 _How am I famous for something I did as a baby?_

It was too much too soon for a child still adjusting with the knowledge of his parents deaths and being a part of the magical world. He saw his guardians exchanged a look, and for a moment he thought they were disappointed. But the reassuring smile from Sirius eased his mind.

"Being a famous wizard at a young age will have its trials, Harry. But just remember you have us. And in the future, anyone who sticks by your side no matter what happens is true loyalty and friendship." Remus said, the tone in his voice was sad yet happy as he recalled something.

"You are special, Harry. You are the Boy Who Lived. But you are also Harry, son of Lily and James Potter. Don't ever forget the love your parents had for you. For even if they are gone, they never really leave us. You can always find them in here." Sirius raised a hand to Harry's chest, where his heart was.

 _So they did love me._

For the first time in years, Harry settled an insecurity that haunted him. He didn't fully understand the circumstances of their deaths, but he was finally confident that they loved him. And now he had Sirius and Remus, a sanctuary away from his dreadful relatives. Harry was a lot more hopeful of his future than ever before.


End file.
